Verbena plant named ‘VEAZ0062’

ABSTRACT

A new Verbena plant named ‘VEAZ0062’ particularly distinguished by medium sized inflorescences, medium sized red-purple flowers with a large white spot in the middle of the flower, medium green, undivided leaves, and an upright plant habit.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Verbenahybrida.

Varietal denomination: ‘VEAZ0062’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new Verbena, botanically known asVerbena hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name‘VEAZ0062’.

‘VEAZ0062’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivarhas medium sized inflorescences, medium sized red-purple flowers withlarge white spot in the middle of the flower, medium green, undividedleaves, and an upright plant habit.

‘VEAZ0062’ originated from a cross made in September 2013 in thegreenhouse in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands.

The female parent was a proprietary plant designated ‘VEAZ0018’ (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 26,375), having a light violet type of flower color and amore trailing plant habit. The male parent was an unpatented proprietaryplant designated ‘VEAZ0025’, having scarlet colored flowers with a whitespot in the middle of the flower.

The resulting seed was sown in February 2014 in a greenhouse inEnkhuizen, The Netherlands. ‘VEAZ0062’ was selected as one floweringplant within the progeny of the stated cross in May 2014.

The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘VEAZ0062’ was accomplishedwhen vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection inJune 2014 in a greenhouse in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plantinitiated in the fall of 2014, and continuing thereafter, hasdemonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosedfor ‘VEAZ0062’ are firmly fixed and are retained through successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

‘VEAZ0062’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity, and day length.

A Plant Breeder's Right for this cultivar has not yet been applied for.‘VEAZ0062’ has not been made publicly available prior to the effectivefiling date of this application, notwithstanding any disclosure that mayhave been made less than one year prior to the effective filing date ofthis application by the inventor or another who obtained ‘VEAZ0062’directly from the inventor.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of the new variety. The combination of thesecharacteristics distinguishes this Verbena as a new and distinctvariety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographic drawings show typical flower and foliagecharacteristics of ‘VEAZ0062’ with colors being as true as possible withan illustration of this type.

The photographic drawing in FIG. 1 shows a close view of aninflorescence of the new plant, and in FIG. 2 a whole flowering plant.

The aforementioned photographs were taken in late May 2020 in Andijk,The Netherlands. The plants were about 10 weeks old and were grown in 11cm pots.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart (R.H.S.) 2001.

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW VARIETY ‘VEAZ0062’ AND A MOSTSIMILAR VARIETY ‘VEAZ0062’ ‘VEAZ0025’ (Not patented) Flower color:Red-purple Light red base color Plant vigor: More vigorous Less vigorous

-   Plant:    -   -   Form, growth and habit.—Herbaceous, initially upright, then            outwardly spreading; vigorous and free-branching.        -   Plant height.—14 cm.        -   Plant height (inflorescence included).—18.0 cm.        -   Plant width.—18.5 cm.-   Roots:    -   -   Number of days to initiate and produce roots.—1-14 days at            about 22 degrees C.        -   Type.—Fine, fibrous, free branching.        -   Color.—RHS N155B but whiter.-   Foliage:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.        -   Immature, leaf color, upper surface.—RHS N138B.        -   Immature, leaf color, lower surface.—RHS 138B.        -   Mature, leaf color, upper surface.—RHS 143A.        -   Mature, leaf color, lower surface.—RHS 138A.        -   Length.—3-5 cm.        -   Width.—1.5-2 cm.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Base shape.—Hastate.        -   Apex shape.—Acute.        -   Margin.—Dentate.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Hirsute.        -   Texture, lower surface.—Hirsute.        -   Color of veins, upper surface.—RHS 138B.        -   Color of veins, lower surface.—RHS 144C.        -   Pattern of veining.—Pinnate.        -   Petiole color.—144C.        -   Petiole length.—0.2-0.3 cm.        -   Petiole width.—0.2 cm.        -   Texture.—Hirsute.-   Stem:    -   -   Branching characteristics.—Makes branches on every node.        -   Number of main branches per plant.—5-8.        -   Color of stem.—RHS 138B.        -   Stem length.—12 cm.        -   Stem width.—0.4 cm.        -   Length of internodes.—2-3 cm.        -   Texture.—Hirsute.        -   Color of peduncle.—RHS 138B.        -   Length of peduncle.—1.8 cm.        -   Peduncle diameter.—0.2 cm.        -   Texture.—Canescent.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Umbel-like, but actually a spike, umbrella-shaped,            large.        -   Blooming habit.—Flowers continuously through the summer            months.        -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—About 4 days            in the greenhouse.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Number of inflorescences per plant.—10-14 at various stages.        -   Horizontal diameter of inflorescence.—4-5 cm.        -   Depth of inflorescence.—2.7 cm.        -   Number of florets per inflorescence (including any buds at            the time).—13-24.-   Bud (just when opening/showing color):    -   -   Color.—RHS 71A.        -   Length.—0.3 cm.        -   Width.—0.3 cm.        -   Shape.—Tubular with a bulbous end.-   Floret:    -   -   Form.—Sessile; salver-shape, composed of 5 partly fused            petals with a base of a narrow tube.        -   Immature color, upper surface.—RHS 71A, but darker; with a            white ring RHS N155A at the base, coloring to RHS 154C into            corolla tube.        -   Immature color, lower surface.—RHS 72B fading to RHS 77D at            the base.        -   Mature color, upper surface.—RHS 71A, but darker; with a            white ring RHS N155A at the base, coloring to RHS 154C into            corolla tube.        -   Mature color, lower surface.—RHS 72B fading to RHS 77D at            the base.        -   Floret diameter.—1.8-2 cm.        -   Floret length (depth).—2.2 cm.        -   Number of petals.—Gamopetalous, 5 lobed.        -   Petal length.—0.8-1 cm.        -   Petal width.—0.8 cm.        -   Shape.—Obcordate.        -   Apex shape.—Emarginate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Petal texture, upper surface.—Smooth.        -   Petal texture, lower surface.—Papillose.        -   Corolla tube length.—1.7 cm.        -   Corolla tube width.—0.2 cm.        -   Corolla tube color inside.—RHS 157A.        -   Tube color outside.—RHS 194D.        -   Corolla texture, inside.—Papillose.        -   Corolla texture, outside.—Glabrous.        -   Throat hair color.—RHS 155A.-   Calyx:    -   -   Type.—Five sepals whose margins are fused to each other            along their length, with a transparent membrane of less than            0.1 cm in width and with one smaller sepal attached to the            base of the calyx.        -   Color of sepals.—RHS 138B, striped RHS 138A.        -   Length of sepals.—1-1.2 cm.        -   Width of sepals.—0.25 cm.        -   Sepal shape.—Linear, but fused.        -   Apex shape.—Acute.        -   Margins.—Entire.        -   Texture.—Densely covered with short hair.-   Reproductive organs:-   Gynoecium:    -   -   Pistil.—1.        -   Pistil length.—1.2 cm.        -   Style color.—RHS 144A.        -   Style length.—1.5 cm.        -   Stigma color.—RHS 144A.        -   Ovary color.—RHS 144B.        -   Ovary length.—0.21 cm.        -   Ovary width.—0.1 cm.-   Androecium:    -   -   Stamens.—Anthers and filaments fused to upper half of            corolla tube; four anthers with two pollen sacs per anther.        -   Color of filaments.—RHS 144B.        -   Filament length.—0.25 cm.        -   Anther color.—RHS 153D.        -   Anther length.—0.15 cm.        -   Pollen amount.—Scarce.-   Fertility/seed set: Neither seed nor fruit production has been    observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Verbena has not been observed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Verbena plant named‘VEAZ0062’ substantially as illustrated and described herein.